Background/aim: Biofilm formation is a major determinant factor in the development of urinary tract infections (UTIs) by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Several adhesion factors are involved in attachment of bacterial cells to the urinary tract and biofilm development. Materials and methods: The possible relationship between different adhesion factor genes (AFGs) and biofilm formation among UPEC isolates was investigated. Prevalence of different AFGs including fimA, fimH, papAH, papC, papEF, sfa-S, foc/G, and bmaE and their association to biofilm formation were investigated. Phenotypic expression of type 1 and P fimbriae was also investigated. Results: Our results showed that 84% of UPEC were moderate to strong biofilm producers. Prevalence of the type 1 and P fimbriae associated genes (fimA, fimH, papEF, papC) as well as the F1C fimbriae gene (foc/G) did not show a difference among different biofilm-producing groups, while higher prevalence of papAH, bmaE (M fimbriae), and sfaS (S-fimbriae) was observed for the strains producing moderate to strong biofilms. Phenotypic expression of type 1 fimbriae was associated with biofilm formation, while no association was observed for P fimbriae. Conclusion: Different AFGs (especially M and S fimbria) and their expression levels affect the biofilm formation ability of UPEC.

Biofilm formation is a major determinant factor in development of bacterial infections. In addition, bacteria embedded in a biofilm are more resistant to antimicrobials and thus the ability of bacteria to persist and grow in a biofilm seems to be the major factor for pathogenesis and therapeutic failure. In the current study, a Lactobacillus plantarum spp was isolated from Siahmazgi cheese, traditional cheese of Guilan province, Iran, and was identified using morphological, biochemical and molecular identification assays. Antibiofilm potential of the Lactobacillus plantarum spp cell free supernatant (CFS) against multidrug resistance Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was characterized. According to the results, the CFS not only reduced biofilm formation by pathogenic bacteria, but also disrupted preformed biofilms. The CFS remained unaffected by chemicals including EDTA, SDS and Tween 80, and showed stability at high temperatures (80 and 100 ˚C), as well as a wide range of pH. However, the antibiofilm activity was inhibited after treating with proteinase K. According to these results, L. plantarum spp could be regarded as a suitable strain to produce antibiofilm agents which could be used for preventive and therapeutic approaches.

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